Hoisting mechanism



March 6, `1945. H. w. BALL HOISTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 5, 1942 March 6, 1945. H. w. BALL HOISTING MECHANISM Filed NOV. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hari/ey W 50/ 0 Patented Mar. 6, 1945 noIs'rING MECHANISM Harvey W. Ball, Alliance, Ohio, assignor to The Morgan Engineering Company, Alliance, Ohio Application November 5, 1942, serial No. 464,637 o 1 claim. (c1. 254-184) This invention relates to hoisting mechanism for overhead trolleys, and more particularlyk to cranes having an improved arrangement for transmitting the power from the motive force to the winding drums.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide hoisting mechanismv including a pair of drums and a pair of motors that are entirely inter-connected and can be operated with both f motors acting simultaneously, or in the event that one motor becomes incapacitated, can be operated by the other motor. n

Another object is to supply a mechanism of this character in which the connecting ymeans between the motors and drums is so constructed and arranged as to equalize forces and balance the structure so as to effectively take care of torque, etc. f

Another object is to furnish a hoisting mechanism of this type in which the motors as Well as intermediate shafts may be effectively braked.

Another object is to provide crane hoisting mechanism-in which the cables are wound about the drum and pulley in one direction only, so as to prevent reverse bending of the cables.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description' proceeds,` the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved mechanism.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. y3 is a view of one of the drums shown f detached, and illustrating the manner in which it is associated with the sheave wheels.

Fig. 4 isa diagrammatic side elevation of the drum and sheave wheels, with one of the cables wound about the same.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates the on the cross-supports, as indicated at II and I2, and each shafting preferably consists of .a relatively long shaft' I3-and a shorter shaft I4, connected together by a ange coupling I 5.

The shafting vis provided with pairs of small gears I3, each pair meshing with one'of the drum gears 9.

Each shafting is also provided with a larger gear Il meshing with a smaller gear I8 fixed to a short shaft I9, journaled in bearings 20 on adjacent cross-supports. A larger gear 2I is xed to each short shaft andis driven by a smaller gear '22 on a mo-tor driven shaft 23, the latter rotating in bearings 24 supported by adjacent cross-bars 6.

A motor 25,` preferably of an electrical type, has its shaft 26 connected to the shaft 23 by a flexible coupling 21 which may be of the Fast type. Such couplings compensate for misalignment of the shafts 23, 26, and are very efcient where high speeds are transmitted from one shaft to another.

A brake 28 for each of the motors is preferably electrically operated, and in order to distribute the braking on the transmission mechanismbetween the motors and the drums, a separate similar brake 29 -is provided for each of the shafts I9. In practice, I have employed magnetic brakes, each brake 28 being synchronized with the brake 29 which is between it and its .associated drum, and both brakes are automatically released when the motor is energized for hoisting or lowering From the arrows applied to the gears, it may be seen that bothy motors can simultaneously drive the drums, or either motor can drive both drums while the other motor is idle.

yIt may be seen from Fig. 3 that each drum is Aassociated with a pair of cables 30 which are wound about the drums in a clock-wise direction and have terminals anchored thereto as indicated at 3l. From the drum, thecables descend and -pass about upwardly and downwardly movable sheave wheels 32 carried by a support 33 having oppositely extending arms 34. From the sheaves '32, the cables extend upwardly, as indicated at 35, thence about sheavewheels 36 journaled in the frame of the trolley, as indicated at 31 in Fig. 2. Each cable then passes again around a -sheave wheel 32 and a sheave wheel 36, and has its other end secured to one of the arms 34, as

indicated at 38. From Fig. 4 it may be seen that each cable is bent in one way only.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understood, and I am aware that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claim.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In combination, a pair of hoisting drums spaced apart and in axial alignment, a rst gear xedly connected to each drum, a pair of shafting extending along' opposite sides ofsaid drums,

two pairsof second duplicate gears xed to said shafting, each of the first gears meshing at diametrically opposite points thereof with a pair of the second gears, third gears xed in their entirety to said shafting, a pair of short shafts positioned between the shafting and each provided with a gear meshing with one of said third gears, a brake acting on each short shaft, a pair of motors, each motor having a driven shaft, gearing connecting each motor shaft with one of the short shafts, and a brake acting on each motor shaft.

HARVEY W. BALL. 

